Let Me Go
by ellamariexx
Summary: Set after the two year arc...goodbyes were never easy.


**Let Me Go**

* * *

><p>The noisier the drill, the louder the metal clanked and the more satisfied she felt. She would drown him out; drown out his presence because like hell she was going to wait for a goodbye. No promises made to be broken, no leash to tug at and no crying. No, this time she was going to have the upper hand. Her hands worked in a frenzied pace set on the edge of frantic to occupy her mind as well as her body. Her love of mechanics trumped all but a few things in her life. Regretfully Ed wasn't one of those things and while she tinkered away she just couldn't get him off her mind.<p>

_Let him go._

It was the same voice inside that told her it was her duty to take care of those brothers, to build arms and legs to give second chances, the same overwhelming voice that told her to show compassion to the man who had killed her parents. She was beginning to think her conscience didn't always have her best interest at heart. It hurt to let him go, to know that distance between them might never close. There was a space for him here and the more he walked away from it, the more she began to wonder if he wanted it at all.

Pushing the safety goggles off she stared at her work. The mistakes screamed out to her, aggravating what little patience she had managed to conjure. Feeling uninspired and defeated she threw her gloves down and stomped up the stairs. Ignoring her grandmother's stare she charged past her and down the front hall until she was free from the house. Clutching onto the railing she glared at the horizon, her jaw set in a straight line. The bags by the front door were gone and while she had known it was coming and insisted on being stubborn…now she was beginning to panic.

He had really left without a goodbye.

Mad didn't describe it; no she was furious at him for choosing to go instead of stay. He was a fighter dammit. A raging idiot who was so passionate about the things he cared about that he often ended up doing something stupid. And here she was regretting that fight and wishing she could have backed down and made it right before it was too late. She knew she was guilty this time but Edward Elric was a fighter; her chest tightened, so why didn't he fight for her? Pushing back off the railing she paced in front of the house, her teeth worrying her bottom lip. Wasn't she a fighter too…why did _she_ let him go?

Pushing the bandanna from her forehead she ignored Dens barks as she jumped the steps and began to run. Goodbyes were painful, but this…this was worse.

It felt strange to act on a whim, to barge into something head on without thinking. It was such an Edward thing to do that she almost convinced herself that he would understand. Legs flying out in a runners sprint she sped forward with adrenaline.

_Let me make it in time._

Legs shaky and nerves rattled she stumbled onto the platform, her heart at her feet. It was empty. Sluggishly she walked the short distance to get a look at the train schedule. The next train left tomorrow morning. Feeling foolish she collapsed onto the nearest bench and let her head hang in front of her. It had all started off with Al leaving to the East and now Ed was headed West.

Two years were an awfully long time in Elric years, but not nearly enough to satisfy her need. She wanted to beg them to stay but the words never came. It was no longer just being Edward's friend that made her so keen to keep him around. That's right…this time she had been hoping for something else, something bigger than 'I'll see you soon'; something more significant than promising an apple pie. She had been chasing him for so long that she thought that maybe, just maybe he had stopped long enough for her to catch him.

"Come on, let's go home."

Snapping her head up she craned her neck to look into a familiar face. Her mouth open and shut a few times before she found her voice. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged his shoulders casually, "Trying to catch a train."

Standing up she tried to stare him down but the height difference sort of killed her attempt. "Obviously. So why aren't you already on one?"

Her friend shoved his hands into the pocket of his white jacket. "Guess the right one never came."

Feeling a little unnerved by the way he looked straight into her eyes she glanced away. "Oh."

"Why are you here?"  
>Winry shivered as the wind chilled her heated skin. Running out of the house in a tube top wasn't the smartest thing she had ever done. "To say goodbye."<p>

Edward rolled his eyes wiggling around in his jacket freeing one arm then the other. Draping it around her shoulders he ruffled her hair.

"The next train doesn't come till tomorrow." He offered like an olive branch between them. "Let's go home."

When he took up her hand on the walk home she realized what two years between them had done. That night he gave her back her earrings and when the next day came he looked at her in his coat but never asked for it back.

"Take care of my jacket, alright?"

It was a simple request but when the train rolled out she found herself smiling. This time he had promised more than tears and apple pie. It was more than holding onto earrings or even a jacket, this time it was his life.

They had the rest of their lives…it was okay to let go for now.


End file.
